Leidos has kicked off production of the Sea Archer, a compact uncrewed surface vessel (USV) designed to push US maritime autonomy tech into the Indo-Pacific.
The program plants the company’s flag in the Australia-Pacific naval autonomy space, aligning with AUKUS goals and Australian Defence Force needs.
Driving Sea Archer is LAVA, Leidos’ advanced autonomy platform that enables high-speed, long-range, and adaptive mission execution.
It is built to link seamlessly with the company’s broader battle management ecosystem, including ADEPT and AlphaMosaic, which use AI to coordinate distributed autonomous fleets.
Sea Archer can reach speeds of 40 knots (74 kilometers/46 miles per hour), cover 1,500 nautical miles (1,725 miles/ 2,780 kilometers), and carry more than 900 kilograms (1,984 pounds) of payload.
Its flexible bay supports missions ranging from strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to logistics resupply and electromagnetic deception.
Anchored in Local Industry
The Australian build of Sea Archer will rely on local industry for construction, payload integration, software design, and long-term sustainment.
Oceans Rivers Lakes, based in the New South Wales Central Coast, is handling aluminum construction.
Meanwhile, Leidos Australia’s technical team is leading the integration of autonomy software already proven across 12 USV platforms worldwide.
Sea Archer will expand Leidos’ growing Sea Systems portfolio, joining medium USVs such as Sea Hunter, Sea Hawk, Ranger, and Mariner, plus undersea systems like Sea Castle, Sea Spector, and Sea Dart.
By pairing US tech with local manpower, the company aims to deliver an adaptable, intelligent, and affordable solution for Indo-Pacific naval operations.
“Given Australia’s vast northern approaches, platforms with coverage, endurance and agility are critical,” said Paul Chase, Leidos Australia Chief Executive.
“The capability to monitor large areas, detect security threats, navigate hazardous environments, and provide continuous uncrewed support enhances our nation’s security posture, especially in today’s geostrategic environment.”
Sea Archer is slated to hit operational readiness by 2026.
